Time recording talking machine



March 24. 1936. F. L. DYER 2,034,943

TIME RECORDING TALKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 17, 1933 4 Sheet -sh t 1 F15.l as 1 s4 2 3o 3'1- e 191 Z 9 a 2 z as 21 3 I ms a 20 I a4 as 5 fi' assz 17 ,1

INVENTOR March 24, 1936- DYE 2,034,943

TIME RECORDING TALKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 17, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR March 24, 1936. L R 2,034,943

TIME RECORDING TALKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 17, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet s 2931 54' 35 o r so 2 28 H6 '88 -3 5 a1 4 as 52 F43 jNvENToR March 24,1936. F. 1.. D YER TIME RECORDING TALKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 17, 1933Sheet-Sheet 4 INVENTOR mzk Patented Man 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

2,034,943 rum ancoannvc TALKING mom Frank L. Dyer, Ventnor, N. 1.Application February 17, 1933, Serial No. 659,223

4 Claims. (Cl. 234-1) My invention relates to an improved time recordingtalking'machine and my object is to provide mechanism by which apermanent record will be made showing the number of times the machine isoperated in a given period and preferably also indicating the time ofeach operation. There are instances where is is desirable to make arecord of. this sort. For example, it has been proposed tomake use ofrecord disks, preferably of the long playingtype for advertisingpurposes. Such records will be played in a store or other commercialestablishment and will con-'- tain a suitable program of music or otherform of entertainment together with advertising announcements of specialgoods, which the manufacturer thereof wishes to bring to theattentionthey are played as well as a change of records from time totime. While as a matter of self- I interest the proprietor of the storesellingthe goods might be expected to operate the talking machine in theprescribed manner, it is desirable that the advertiser or advertisersshould be assured that is actually done.

It might possible by means of automatic mechanism to start' the talkingmachine in operation at the desired time of day and stop it at the endof the operating period and so on from day to day, but such an expedientwould involve the use of expensive apparatus-for stopping the 5 talkingmachine at the end of the record, re-

turning the tone arm to the beginning of the record and again startingthe talking machine in operation. Besides mechanism of automatic type isuncertain and likely to get out of order and if it involves the use of aspring wound clock there is always the likelihood of the storekeeperfailing to keep it wound. I

What I propose to do is to provide simple and eflective mechanism bywhich a permanent record will be made indicating graphically that thetalking machine has been operated in the desired periods. Such a recordmight desirably provide a graphic indication for an entire week andafter removal the record can be forwarded to the agency representing theadvertiser or advertisers.

. In this waycan eifective check may be kept upon thousands of stores ifnecessary with assurance that the machines therein have beenproperlyoperated.

ably make use of two turntables driven preferably by separate motors andI provide for the automatic starting of one of these turntables when therecord onv the other turntable has reached its end. The records can, ofcourse, operate sound boxes so that the sounds will be directlyreproduced through horns as with old-fashioned phonographs, but I preferto make use of electrical pick-ups so that the recorded sounds will beconverted into telephone currents which in turn will be amplified bythermionic tubes and cause to operate one or more loud. speakers of anysuitable type placed in desired locations in the store.

I propose to place the talking machine having the two turntables in thecashiers cage, since the manual operations can be performed in a fewseconds and will not interfere with the regular duties of the cashier.Obviously however, the talking machine may be placed elsewhere.

A desirable arrangement would involve the use of a thirty minute record,one on each turntable, giving a complete program of an hour's durationand oifering plenty of opportunity for considerable interspersedadvertising matter.

At the commencement of the operation the cashier or other operator willengage the pick-up stylus at the beginning of each of the two recordsand will then {start the turntable carrying the first record of theprogram which will then play for a period of say thirty minutes. Uponthe completion of the first record the second turntable will startautomatically to complete the second half of the program.

Preferably upon the completion of each record there will be a signalwhich will indicate to the cashier or other operator that the record hascompleted its part of the program and has come to a stop, whereupon thepick-up or tone arm will be raised and the stylus moved back again tothe commencement of the record which has just been played, ready to beautomatically started upon the completion of the playing of the otherrecord.

This signal may be of any suitable kind, such asa bell to give anaudible indication or an annu'nciator drop to give a visual indication.

Combined with the turntables I employ a spring operated time recorder ofany suitable type. with these recorders which are employed for examplein recording graphically changes 11]. temperature or variations in steampressure a circular card is used which for my purpose will make acomplete revolution in six days. The card will be marked with the daysof the week and with the hours of the day.

Engaging the card there is a pen or pencil which (with one form of myinvention) if not diverted from its path will trace a circular line onthe card and will at all times coincide with the actual time indicatedon the card. The pen or pencil of the recorder may be so connected withthe two tone arms that when either is lifted so as to move the stylusback to the starting point, the pen or pencil will be shifted sidewise,to thus make a break or peak in-the circular line, and in this wayindicate the exact hour and minute of the day when this shiftingoperation has been performed. With this form of my invention, (when twoturntables are used) the mechanism will be so arranged that when thestylus of one record has been moved to the starting pointQthe break inthe recorded line would extend in one direction while the returnmovement of the stylus of the other record will cause the break to beformed in the other direction. Of course, these so-called breaks are inno way similar to the slow peaks which are formed, for example, on arecording thermometer but are mere lines to the right or left since theshifting of the stylus is eflected in one or ,two seconds.

Preferably my improved apparatus involves the use of two relayscontrolling two sets of motor contacts for the driving motors. When onerelay operates it closes one set of motor contacts so as to start thecorresponding motor and opens the other set to permit the other motor tocome to rest.

Contacts are employed in connection with each turntable adapted to beclosed by the movement of the tone arm or pick-up arm when the latterhas reached the end of its travel. The contacts at one turntable closethe circuits for operating the motor controlling relay of the otherturntable and vice versa.

Provision is made whereby the position of the two sets of contacts maybe adjusted according to the length of the record to be played as willbe more fully hereinafter explained.

Instead of operating the pen or pencil of the recorder by the liftingmovement of the tone arm or pick-up arm as above referred to, a somewhatsimpler and on the whole a preferable arrangement is secured if the penor pencil is actuated directly by the relays referred to. Thus, if thereis a single pivoted arm carrying an armature at each end for operationby either relay, the pencil or pen may be operated from said arm wheneither of the relays is energized. In this case instead of forming agraphic record comprising a circular path with breaks to the right orleft, a zigzag record will be formed which will indicate the number ofoperations of each record as well as the time of day at which eachchange from one disk to the other was made.

Preferably the disks used are of a special type.

The sound portion of the record will preferably be of fine pitch, saytwo hundred threads more or less to the inch and at the beginning of thesound record there will be a few turns of a relatively coarse guidinggroove of say fifty threads per inch which will lead the stylus into theline record groove. A coarse guiding groove will in this way permit thestylus to be more accurately engaged by the record and will allow thedisk to make a number of turns before the record groove is reached. Inthis way the motor will be ab e to attain the desired operating speedbefore sounds are reproduced.

the starting of the other disk. By employing a concentric groove theswinging movement of the tone arm or pick-up arm will be arrested afterthe contacts have been closed.

It will of course be understood that instead of using a pair ofturntables, a single turntable may be employed, carrying only one disk.This will of course cut the playing time of the program in half. Whenonly a single record is used, mechanism for controlling the secondrecord may be dispensed with since the motor of the single tumtable mayoperate continuously. Having made a graphic record as described the cardwill indicate the exact minute of the day for an entire week at whichthe tone arm or pick-up arm of the record or records was shifted, andthus graphically indicate to the advertising agency that the talkingmachine was properly operated.

While I have indicated in a general way the equipment used and theoperation of my improved time recording talking machine when employed inthe distribution of a combined entertainment and advertising program itwill be understood that the apparatus may be made use of in anyconnection where it is desirable that a record should be made whichindicates the operation of the talking machine at stated periods, as forexample, with radio'brpadcasting.

In order that my invention may be better understood attention isdirected to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification showing an apparatus equipped with two tumtables and inwhich Figure 1 is an end elevation of an apparatus employing twoturntables showing an electric pick-up for each disk and illustratingthe form of the invention in which the recording pencil or pen isactuated by the lifting movement of either pick-up as it is returned tothe commencement of a record which has just been played.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the preferred form of disk illustratingcoarse threaded spiral guiding grooves at the beginning and end of thesound groove.

Figure 4 is a diagram of the preferred electric circuits employingaudible signals.

Fgure 5 is a front view of the relay employed for controlling 4 twomotors.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5..

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the pivoted end for oneof the pick-up arms shown in Figures 1 and 2 on a somewhat larger scaleand illustrating a suitable contact arrangement for controlling therelays.

Figure 8 is a cross sectional view on the same scale as Figure '7 takenat right angles thereto.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view illustrating the time recorder and thearrangement used for actuating the same by the lifting of the tone armor pick-up arm.

Figure 10 is a section on the line Ill-l0 of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a separate view of the time recorder turntable v5 carries atalking machine record 1 and the turntable 8 a talking machine record 8,both of which are preferably of the long playing type as disclosed in myPatents No. 1,570,297 of January 19, 1926 and No. 1,628,658, of May 17,1927.

For the purpo'se of store advertising, the sound I record portion ofeach disk may conveniently play for'thirty minutes so as to give aprogram running for an hour. 0 By making these disks double-faced it isobvious that a second program of equal duration can be played.Preferably these disks are, of an especial character as shown in Figure3.

The sound groove 9 is preferably closely spaced, say 200 or more threadsper inch and the disk turns at relatively slow speed, say 33% R. P. M.with a 12 inch disk. At the beginning of the line records 1 preferablyform a coarse spiral groove II which leads into the fine record grooveand which may be of the order of 50 threads per inch. By reason of thepresence of this preliminary, guiding groove it is not necessary for theoperator to take pains in engaging the needle with the beginning of thesound groove. The needle may be engaged at any portion of the guidinggroove ll so that before the record begins toplay there may be a fewseconds of silence. 8 there is a second coarse spiral guiding groove "Hleading from.,the record grooveso that at the completion of the playing,the tone arm or pickup arm will swing more rapidly in the direction inwhich it has been moving to bring about the closing oi the appropriaterelay contacts as will be hereinafter described.

The coarse groove H leads into a deep concentrlcgroove It so that aftercontact has been made further lateral movement of the needle would bearrested.

In Figures 1 and 2 light weight electrical pickups I and I4 are showneither'of the hill and dale or lateral type according to the characterof the sound groove 8. One of the pick-up arms Ii is shown in Figures '1and 8 and is mounted between pivots l0 and Il in a frame I. so as to becapable of lateral movement inplaying the record. The frame ll of eachpick-up is mounted in a casing is on shafts "and 2| or 22 as the casemay be so as to permit the pick-up arm to be lifted when the needle isto be moved back to the commencement oi the record.

In Figure 9 I illustrate the shaft 2| of one pickup and also acorresponding shaft 22 of the other pick-up. These two shafts 2| and 22are carried by bearings 23 and 24 and are provided at their ends withcams 2! and 2t. These cams actuate a pin 21 on a lever 28 of a timerecorder 29 of any suitable type. The lever it carries at its upper 'enda pencil or pen II which marks a line on the card SI of the timerecorder. The card 3| is shown more clearly in Figure 11 and mayconveniently indicate the operations taking place over a'period of sixdays.

Under normal conditions, that is to say, when bothneedles are inengagement with their respec- At the end of the line sound groove tivedisks, one playing and the other being idle,

the arm 28 will occupy a midway position be-' tween the cams 25 and Itbrought about for example by centering springs 31 and I3. When, however,one or the other of the pick-up arms is raised to move the pick-up backto the commencement of the record a break such as 34 will be formed inthe line 35 which will be normally traced. When one pick-up is raised,the break 34 is formed at one side of the line 3! and when the otherpick-up arm is raised the break 34 is formed in the opposite directionas will be seen in Figure 11. The card II is marked with linesindicating hours and days as shown so that a graphic indication will begiven of the time when a pick-up after having played a record will bemoved back to the starting point.

Mounted upon the cuing I! on a pivot in line with pivots It, I1, is aninsulated arm 38 the after clamped by a thumb nut 31. Each of theseinsulated arms carries a'contact 38 with which a contact pin is carriedby and insulated from the rear end of either tone arm is adapted to en'-gage. These contacts are shown diagrammatically in Figure 4.

By engaging the needle of either pick-up with the correspondingconcentric groove II of its record and then by bringing the two contactsa and as together and tightening the thumb nut 31 a proper adjustmentwill be'secured. permitting the operation of the relays regardless ofthe space occupied on any particular disk by the several groovesthereon. v r

When either pick-up arm is moved to its full lateral extent to engagethe contacts 38 and 3! a circuit is closed to one relay which controlsthe motor for the other disk and starts it inoperation. In other words,after the completion of the playing of either disk the other disk isautomatically started.

A suitable relay arrangement is shown in Fig- -ure 5 and comprises twopairs of coils 4| and ll,

for the two motors. These coils are. carried on base 42 having asupporting back or panel 43. Mounted upon a pivot 44 projecting frompanel 43 is an arm 4 which carries armatures 4i and ll for the two setsof relay coils II and ll. By

energizing the coils 4|, as shown in Figure 5, the

armature It will be moved slightly clockwise and by energizing the coilsll the armature I! will be moved slightly anti-clockwise. Carried uponone end of the lever 45 is a motor contact 48 cooperating with astationary motor contact 49 carried by the panel 43. Similar motorcontacts I. and ii are at the opposite end of the lever 4!. An arm 52 isshown as "projecting downwardly from the lever 45 and carries twonotches 53 and 54 with which a spring pressed pin it cooperates-so as tohold the motor contacts 48 and 4! or II and SI in engagement during theoperation of either motor.

Instead of the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2 and 'l to 11inclusive, I prefer to employ the arrangement of Figure 12 owing to itssimplicity. .Here the arm II is carried directly by the lever ll so thatthe pen or pencil will trace a zigzag line it as shown, thus indicatingthe periods during which either motor may be in operation.

Referring to Figure 4 I show the motors 2 and 3 connected in multipleacross a power line,

the motor I being controlled by the contacts II In this view thecontacts 88 and 39 at the left correspond to motor 2 and are shown asbeing closed owing to the fact that motor 2 has operated its disk to theend of travel of the corresponding pick-up arm. This has actuated thecoils 40 of the relay closing the motor contacts essary to use twoturntables for playing two rec- 48 and 49 and starting the motor 3 forplaying the other disk. As soon as the pick-up arm at the left is raisedand moved back to the starting point, the relay contacts 38 and 39 willbe opened but the motor contacts 48 and 49 will remain closed until themotor 3 has operated its disk to the end, and the contacts 38 and 39 arethen closed to energize the coils 4| and thus start the motor 2. Forpurposes of operating the relay coils, I have shown a storage battery 51of comparatively low voltage but obviously any other source of power canbe utilized. '1 also show in Figure 4 two bells 58 and 59 in series withthe two sets of relay contacts so that when either set is closed thecorresponding bell will ring indicating to the operator that the recordhas been played.

It will be seen that when either bell is rung to indicate to theoperator that one or the other of the records has been played, it willstop ringing the moment the tone arm is raised to move the needle backto the commencement of the record.

This return-movement of the tone arm opens the bell circuit at either ofthe relay contacts 38 and 39.

As I have heretofore indicated, it is not necords in succession. Asingle turntable may be used in which case the motor 2 or 3 may operatecontinuously, thusdoing away with the motor contacts 48, 49 and 50, 5!.If the arrangement for actuating the time recorder shown in Figures 1,and 2 and 7 to 11 is employed, the only function of the relay circuitwill be to ring the signal bell to indicate that the record has beenplayed. In this case the relay will be unneces sary and a single shaft20 or 2! will actuate the pen or pencil of the time recorder when thetone arm or pick-up arm is raised to be moved back to the startingposition.

When the arrangement of Figure 12 is used with a single turntable, oneof the sets of coils M1 or ll will be retained for the sole purpose ofactuating the time recorder when the relay circuit is closed.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new therein and desireto secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. The combination with a talking machine, .a record therefor and astylus tracking said record and reproducing therefrom, of a timeoperated record card, a marking device tracing a line on said card andmechanism between said stylus and said marking device under the controlof said stylus whereby when the stylus has completed the tracing of thesound record a deviation will b formed in said line.

2. The combination with a talking machine, a record therefor and astylus tracking said record and reproducing therefrom, of a time drivenrecord receiving member, an element for producing a graphic recordthereon and mechanism under the control of said stylus and cooperatingwith said last mentioned element whereby a graphic record will be madeindicating the number of times said stylus has tracked said record.

3. The combination with a talking machine, a record therefor and stylustracking said record and reproducing therefrom, of a time driven recordreceiving member, an element for producing a graphic record thereon andmechanism cooperating with said element and controlled by the styluswhereby when the stylus has reached the end of its travel .a graphicrecord will be made indicating the number of times said stylus hastracked said record.

4. The combination with a talking machine, a record therefor and astylus engaging said record, of a time driven record receiving member,an element for forming a graphic record thereon, a magnet coilcontrolling the latter element and a contact controlled by said stylusfor energizing said coil when the record has been played therebyindicating the number of times said stylus has tracked its record.

FRANK L. DYER.

